It's difficult to factor out the choice of an automatic or manual transmission when evaluating any automobile.
"You drive the car with a manual transmission. With an automatic, the car drives you," is what my mechanic tells me, and this is hard to ignore when discussing the 2015 Mazda 3. A six-speed manual transmission gives the sedan character and enhances its driving performance.
I drove a 2014 model for two weeks last winter with the 6-speed automatic transmission and that sedan lacked personality compared to my 2015 tester.
In addition to the transmission option, Mazda also offers two engine options — a 2.0-liter, 155 horsepower engine or a 2.5-liter, 184-hp engine. I had the larger motor under the hood of my top-shelf Grand Touring edition tester which did 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. My test version goes for $25,045 and the Mazda 3 base price is just under $17,000.
The front-wheel-drive Mazda 3 handles more like a rear-wheel-drive coupe and was sharp through the corners. The clutch was effortless to operate and I could wind out the gears without the sedan diving or lurching between shifts. Hill start assist that prevents roll back when the clutch was tapped made city driving a breeze.
My Mazda 3 was packed with oodles of features usually reserved for the luxury car category such as a push-button starter, rain-sensing wipers, and an active driving display that provides a heads-up readout on a screen on the dashboard. This novel approach to the display, which is designed to keep the driver's eyes on the road, was adjustable so the data could be seen from any seating position. The sedan also had blind -spot monitoring and a rear cross traffic alert, which further enhanced the advantage of the rearview camera when backing up.
Perforated black leather- trimmed seats with bold red stitching were a huge upgrade over the base model's cloth upholstery. A dual-zone automatic climate control allowed for driver and passenger to dial in their own preferred temperatures. Front seats were heated as well. Rear seats provided enough space for my three children, but three adults might be a tight squeeze on a long ride with the limited foot- and headroom.
The Mazda 3's infotainment center was primarily controlled via a large dial and touch pads mounted in an array between the seats. An analog type volume control was easy to locate without looking. Audio controls were also mounted to the steering wheel. I found navigation and stereo modes that were accessible through a 7-inch touchscreen easy to use and quick to master.
My tester was the four-door sedan version with a decent amount of trunk space. The Mazda 3 is also offered in a five-door hatchback version.
While it was a thrill to drive a Mazda 3 with a six-speed manual, I get that a clutch and stick shift are not for everyone, especially in stop-and-go city traffic. On the plus side, driving with a manual transmission not only improves fuel economy, but also cuts down on distracted driving as it's next to impossible to use a smartphone while in transit.
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